The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 14% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Coatimundi Middle School
Coatimundi Middle School sits in Rio Rico, an unincorporated census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, north of Nogales near the confluence of Sonoita Creek and the Santa Cruz River. The community is largely residential, spread across a low-density suburban to exurban footprint that covers many square miles. A substantial majority of households are Hispanic, and the homeownership rate, while not universal, is notable for this area. Median household income in Rio Rico is below the national average, and the largest employment sectors locally are Public Administration, Transportation and Warehousing, and Health Care and Social Assistance, with cross-border logistics likely playing a role given proximity to the U.S.-Mexico line. The population has been growing steadily over the last several years, and housing values are moderately priced relative to both the state and national benchmarks.
The school itself is a regular public middle school serving grades six through eight, with an enrollment that reflects the surrounding community: nearly all students are Hispanic, and the remaining share is very small. It is part of the Santa Cruz Valley Unified District. We looked for recent district-level changes such as bonds, overrides, or curriculum shifts and found little publicly reported in the recent span; a parent may want to check directly with the district for any upcoming or ongoing developments.
Academically, state testing data from the most recent school year gives a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight ranged from just above three in ten students to just below four in ten, with the eighth-grade figure landing around the lower end of that band. In math, the rates were lower: around a quarter of sixth graders met proficiency, and that share dropped substantially by seventh grade, with eighth-grade math results suppressed in reporting. In eighth-grade science, the proficiency rate was lower than the ELA figures. Taken together, these results place Coatimundi Middle School in the bottom tier relative to other districts in Santa Cruz County when looking at overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The two-year trend shows essentially flat performance in both ELA and math, with no notable improvement or decline.
The school environment data has several gaps. Information on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, nor were counts of students with individualized education plans or English learner classifications. Discipline statistics, staffing ratios, and chronic absenteeism rates are also missing from the data we assembled. A parent may wish to ask the school directly about these aspects of student support and school climate.
For families considering this school, the academic record is the most concrete indicator available, and it shows that a majority of students are not yet reaching proficiency benchmarks in core subjects. The student body is highly homogeneous ethnically, which may or may not align with a family's preference. Rio Rico offers a relatively affordable housing market in a growing area, with a modest but real pace of development. The lack of recent district-level changes reported publicly suggests stability, though it also means there is little to point to in terms of new initiatives or investments. Without more detailed data on programming, class sizes, or student support services, a family's next step would likely be to visit the school, talk to staff and current parents, and see how the environment matches their child's needs.
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